Today, to be honest, it was a bad tragedy for me as when I booked the ticket for the movie Oppenheimer yesterday as I’m 17 I was afraid that the theatre owners wouldn’t let me in as the movie was rated A. But, when I left for the movie today, I learned that the movie changed the rating to UA yesterday, as Indian Censor Board removed some cuss words and the intimate scene between Murphy and Pugh was cut through and made half. However, that’s what Indian Censor Board does every time. Let’s move on to the review.
Oppenheimer Cast
Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Robert Downey Jr., Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, Josh Hartnett, Casey Affleck, Rami Malek, Kenneth Branagh, Benny Safdie, Dylan Arnold, Gustaf Skarsgard, David Krumholtz, Matthew Modine, David Dastmalchian, Tom Conti, Michael Angarano, Jack Quaid, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby, Dana DeHaan, Aiden Ehrenreich, Jefferson Hall, Jason Clarke, James D’Arcy, Tony Goldwyn, Devon Bostick, Alex Wolff, Scott Grimes, Josh Zuckerman, Matthias Schweighofer, Christopher Denham, David Rysdahl, Guy Burnet, Louise Lombard, Harris Gilbertson, John Gowans, Kurt Koehler, Macon Blair, Harry Groener, Jack Cutmore-Scott, James Remar, Gregory Jbara, Tim DeKay and James Urbaniak.
Produced By: Emma Thomas, Charles Roven and Christopher Nolan
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
Runtime: 3 Hours
Sometimes what you expect from a movie and you get that, then you get satisfied, but sometimes what you not expect from a movie and when you get that you feel surprised and superb. Oppenheimer proves everyone is the same as the 2nd statement. I can assure you that this is an entirely different Nolan film. Every scene grips you and pushes your adrenaline up and especially 2nd half teaches some outstanding life lessons. Every Character in the film has very much detail and has a dark side; this film is a mixture of Drama, Courtroom Drama, Thrill, Dark, Bone Chilling, 2nd half and most important gripping screenplay. This is the best thing about Nolan’s direction: he uses a new script every time he passes the test and the audience likes every film of Nolan.
So if we talk about the story without spoilers, it’s understandable that J Robert Oppenheimer, who is a PhD in Physics life turned all around for him at the time of World War 2 as he made a Nuclear Atom Bomb as he is said to be Father of the Atom Bomb as life changes for him after making the Nuclear bomb and how he faces everyone with different ideologies of Communism and Politics. What will he have to face, and what will be the change after the bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Having two mixtures of 2 subjects in the movie, which are Science and History, Personally, as a History student, I enjoyed the movie thoroughly as I did know this Hiroshima and Nagasaki but also came to know about new things which happened at the time in America, for their soldiers, for the president was something which I found interesting throughout the film. The courtroom drama scenes and the whole 2nd half are highly recommended to Science and History Lovers.
Oppenheimer can be called a loud film with engaging screenplay, storytelling, acting and Nolan’s super Direction. Also, it always feels proud when our culture is represented in an overseas movie as Oppenheimer can be called a biopic; J Robert Oppenheimer did read the Bhagwad Gita and saying the shlok before and after the launch of the bomb is seen here in the movie differently but you will surely feel proud. In a recent interview, Murphy told that he did read the Bhagwad Gita and found it a very beautiful text. Nolan before also Interstellar did present our culture through the Sanskrit coding in the movie.
Let’s talk about the performances:
- Cillian Murphy is coming back on the big screens after Peaky Blinders, and performing this is something that I did expect. Still, the thing is, whatever you call Limelight, Stealing the Show, Spotlight etc., everything is Cillian Murphy. His expressions, Walk, Attitude, and Stealing in every drama scene where he has always stood out tall. I think Murphy and Nolan have done five films together in the past, and Oppenheimer is the 6th one; Nolan realized late that Murphy is a Lead role material as he always used to be a supporter in Nolan’s films. Also, everyone won’t be surprised if Cillian Murphy gets Oscar for this movie. Also, Oppenheimer can be called Nolan’s least complicated film. Murphy fans will indeed watch it, as some of them are Peaky Blinders fans.
- Emily Blunt as Oppenheimer’s wife is a perfect casting for me as nobody could have looked so perfect opposite Murphy. Blunt did have a promising performance, especially before the interval block, as that’s where she was great, as she didn’t have much screen time. Still, she was a good supporter in the movie.
- Now let’s come to the person we, especially Marvel fans, love more than ourselves. Robert Downey Jr. has shocked everyone with this character of Lewis Strauss as he was outstanding in the 2nd half 1st half can be said to be a build-up for his character, as I was shocked to see his character change in the 2nd. This role of him is a tight slap to those who think that he can only do fun and heroic roles like Iron Man. Still, Nolan made his character too deep and dark, which is a great watch, and I disagreed when the premiere of Oppenheimer happened in the UK; RDJ said, “This is the best movie till now he has been in.” As a Marvel fan, digesting that statement was weird, but after watching the movie, I can agree with RDJ. RDJ and Murphy’s scenes are a delight as they rock on together. Either Murphy or RDJ is bagging the Oscar this year, most probably.
- Having a short but sweet role in the movie, Florence Pugh did her work well, and her chemistry with Murphy was sweet though not having the deleted intimate scene in the movie. Florence Pugh did have a good screen presence.
- Matt Damon always surprises his fans by doing something new in every movie, and he is an underrated actor. Here goes the same having a late entry in the movie and still having a promising role in the movie, his and Murphy’s scenes together were something I enjoyed, especially in the 2nd. I’m sure that his fans will love him in the movie.
- There are 2 special mentions that I loved in the movie. 1st is Rami Malek, whom I last saw in No Time To Die and now in Oppenheimer. This guy every time does so well that you will love/hate every time he does a new film. Here, he has done well again.
- 2nd is Tom Conti as Albert Einstein. Though it felt confusing seeing Einstein in the trailer and in the movie, Conti surprised me at the ending with the speech he gave to Murphy. If someone doesn’t understand the whole movie (Being a Nolan movie), they should hear that speech which can make them understand the whole movie as that speech will teach some life lessons and the plot of the movie.
What I like the most about Christopher Nolan is that every time he does something new, either taking it from his movie or through his creative mind, he surprises the audience every time. Oppenheimer is the same but with a mixture of Biopic, Courtroom Drama, Kind of suspense and some horror/shocker scenes, and it’s a massive jackpot for History and Science lovers. Go and watch this Nolan’s Creative Masterpiece in cinemas near you.
eChhapu
